This invention relates to a medicinal extract made from whole thymus glands of either chinchilla, bovine or sheep. This invention further relates to a method of preparing such an extract and a method of treating animals suffering from immune related conditions.
The thymus gland is involved with the immune system through its hormones and hormone-like factors including Metcalf's lymphocytosis-stimulating factor, Miller's competence including factor, homostatic thymus hormone, thymopoeitin I and II and thymosin. Although it is not known if these are the same substances under different names, it is known that individually these thymic substances have lymphocytopoietic effects, and can prevent both wasting disease and fatal virus infections in thymectomized mice. All thymectomized laboratory animals show a significant decrement in the immune response.
In addition, the thymus gland has an indirect effect on the immune system. Many lymphocytes, which are directly involved in the immune system, pass through the thymus. During the time these lymphocytes are in the thymus, the lymphocytes will differentiate and mature and are possibly influenced by thymic hormone-like factors. Thus, a mixed heterogenous population of thymus cells might control through its final products the hormonally conditioned mature lymphocytes and exert an indirect effect on the immune system.
The thymus gland is active from birth to puberty and then appears to atrophy and slough off its peripheral cells. The thymus gland effects the immune system even after it atrophies. The peripheral cells of the atrophied thymus gland migrate to form some of the reticuloendothelial tissues associated with the development of the immune responses in the adult by producing substances such as anti-bodies and interferon.
Each of the isolated thymic hormones and hormone-like factors have a specific function. The thymic medicinal extract herein described contains most or all of the thymic hormones and hormone-like factors. The totality of these hormones and factors work to stimulate the immune system to produce the theraputic results herein described.
An object of the present invention is to provide a medicinal extract made from whole thymus glands of either chinchilla, bovine or sheep which has a theraputic effect on the immune system that can produce the results herein described.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of preparing such a medicinal extract of thymus glands.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method of treating animals suffering from immune related conditions with the medicinal thymic extract.